Finsbury market trader wins battle to stop flats and shops grab

Published: 21 May 2010
by ROISIN GADELRAB

A MARKET trader has succeeded in her fight to prevent the Town Hall seizing control of a multi-million pound row of rundown shops and flats in Finsbury.

Doreen Tibbs was hauled before a council planning committee last year to be told the Town Hall planned to issue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on her inherited properties – 141-157 Whitecross Street.

She appealed against the decision in January and last week planning inspector Philip Asquith ruled in her favour. Ms Tibbs had promised the inspector she was planning to carry out renovations but that banks would not loan to her if the building was issued with a CPO.

The Whitecross Street-born former florist inherited the buildings worth more than £3million from her family but claimed she had been unable to renovate the properties because of personal issues

Council officers described the buildings, lying empty for months, as “a rundown eyesore in need of complete renovation”. They wanted to sell them to a housing association.

But issuing his decision last week, Mr Asquith said: “There is likelihood that if the properties remain with the owners there is a reasonable prospect of their refurbishment/

redevelopment and the residential elements being brought back into active use within a relatively short space of time.” This was likely to take less time than issuing a CPO and passing the properties on to a social landlord.

A CPO would interfere with Ms Tibbs’ human rights, he added. “I am not convinced that it has been clearly demonstrated that the order’s confirmation is a measure of last resort,” Mr Asquith said.

An Islington Council spokesman said: “We will monitor the owner’s progress in carrying out the renovation she has promised and will take further action if it does not proceed in a reasonable time frame. 

“All we’ve ever wanted is to see these vacant buildings in use again, and we hope this will happen in the near future.”